AI Empowering In-Vehicle Infotainment Systems

As user demands for display screen quality increase, the resolution, color reproduction, and contrast of in-vehicle central screens are also continuously improving, with a clear trend towards high definition. Currently, in-vehicle display panels mainly use TFT-LCD technology, which has advantages such as wide applicability, low cost, and mature technology. OLED and MiniLED solutions are gradually being applied to high-end models.

The central control chip is the core hardware that determines the performance of the in-vehicle infotainment system, with high computing power, miniaturization, and low power consumption being the future development direction. Currently, there are relatively many players in the central control chip market, with traditional chip giants NXP, TI, and Renesas still occupying the leading market positions. Domestic manufacturers like Huawei, Horizon Robotics, Allwinner Technology, and YikaTong have achieved large-scale production and rapid development. In the “one chip, multiple screens” smart cockpit solution, Qualcomm is nearly monopolizing the market due to its rich product line and excellent product performance.

On the software side, the mainstream IVI software architecture currently consists of a lower-level operating system, middleware, and functional application software, supplemented by OTA to enhance the core value and potential of the software. Traditional Tier 1 suppliers mainly cover three areas: customized operating systems, SDKs, and BSPs. In the future, BSP will still be the foundation for traditional Tier 1 suppliers, but OEMs will compete for the customized operating system and SDK business to facilitate subsequent OTA upgrades and the self-development of applications that involve core user experiences.

In the development of in-vehicle IVI systems, most domestic traditional automakers and new car manufacturers build on the Android platform, while foreign automakers mainly use the QNX or Linux platforms. During localization, they often choose the Android platform; automakers generally prefer to collaborate with internet companies like BATH to enrich their in-vehicle content and ecosystem, with domestic automotive systems and service ecosystems relatively advanced.

On the market side, in-vehicle infotainment systems have basically become standard in new cars, and the market is expected to maintain steady growth, with the overall market size of IVI in China projected to reach 52.78 billion yuan by 2027. In terms of competition, the IVI industry is currently relatively fragmented, with intense competition, and independent suppliers’ strength is gradually increasing, having successfully achieved domestic substitution. Desay SV has already ranked first in the domestic market share.

Human-computer interaction is a key development focus for in-vehicle infotainment systems. Human-computer interaction includes various methods such as buttons, touch, gesture operation, voice control, and biometrics, with voice interaction gradually becoming mainstream. Driven by AI large models, smart cockpit voice assistants are upgrading to “AI Smart Housekeeper,” and future human-computer interaction will show trends towards multimodal and proactive interactions, providing users with personalized, emotional, and contextual experiences.

iFLYTEK’s scenario-based intelligent cockpit solution starts from “scenario intelligence,” with speed, simplicity, and fun as the product philosophy. It provides users with an ultimate driving experience through comprehensive scene-based multimodal interaction and diversified perception intelligence, featuring multimodal interaction, intelligent sound effects, versatile space, personalization, and high-cost performance domain control.

In May 2023, iFLYTEK launched the Spark cognitive large model, which changes the traditional limited task and specific expression interaction model, leveraging deep understanding and language generation advantages to help human-computer interaction systems embrace more open scenarios and more natural interactions, leading automotive human-computer interaction towards a more human-like experience, which will be officially released in October.

In addition to voice interaction, technological innovations in in-vehicle infotainment systems will also involve areas such as in-car digital displays and multi-device interconnectivity. With the continuous development of technologies like smart surfaces, window displays, and holographic projections, future display products will break physical limitations and appear in any area of the vehicle’s cabin, making human-computer interaction interfaces ubiquitous. Furthermore, driven by mobile internet technologies, devices such as in-car systems, smartphones, and laptops can interconnect, creating an ecological closed loop of human-vehicle-life-work, providing users with better software fluidity and human-computer interaction experiences, achieving seamless transitions across multiple scenarios.